Contrasted ecological niches shapes microbial community structure in mangroves sediments

Mangroves were endangered ecosystems experiencing decreasing surface rates equivalent to coral reefs, estimated to 20% of their total surface during the past two decades, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Those ecosystems are located at the interface between coastal sea and the inland, thus presenting a variety of ecological niches. Indeed, many physico-chemical shifts were associated to mangrove sediments, providing thus an ideal ecosystem to study microbial communities by allowing niche differentiation and distinct community structure. Prokaryotic and fungal communities were investigated during both wet and dry season in New Caledonian mangrove sediments, from the surface to deeper horizons, using high-throughput sequencing.